Armenian Apostolic Church in Prague

Today, the Church of the Holy Spirit is associated with the religious life of the Armenian community. However, a little background. The Armenian Church has been operating in Prague since 2005, when the spiritual pastor for the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, Archimandrite Barseg Pilavchyan, was sent from Armenia to central Europe. According to various sources, from three to ten thousand Armenians live in the Czech Republic. The first Armenian in Prague to be mentioned in historical chronicles is Georgies Deodatus, who opened the first coffee shop in Prague's Old Town. However, that was a long time ago - in 1708. The modern Armenian community of the Czech Republic, in contrast to other Armenian communities in Europe, which have been in existence for several centuries, here consists mainly of migrants of the last wave that formed in the post-Soviet period. Today the Armenian community of the Czech Republic consists of people with high intellectual abilities, university youth, there are many art workers, businessmen. The community publishes the Orer magazine, the editor-in-chief of which is Hakob Asatryan, the Armenian Saturday school, the youth union, the Armenian-Czech cultural association, the Urartu association, the Armenia club and others. The Armenians of Prague have never had their own church. Since 2005, divine services in the Armenian rite have been held at the Catholic Church of St. Elijah. On October 11, 2015, the Catholic Church of the Holy Spirit in Prague, built in the 14th century, was transferred to the parish of St. Gregory the Illuminator of the Armenian Apostolic Church for permanent use. Representatives of the Armenian and Czech clergy, deputy of the Czech parliament Marek Benda, representatives of the Armenian diplomatic mission, numerous members of the Armenian community attended the solemn ceremony of handing over the keys to the church. This is how the Church of the Holy Spirit found its second wind and continued to serve its intended purpose.

Interesting church.